


You Like Him

by ardentaislinn



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-21
Updated: 2014-03-21
Packaged: 2018-01-16 11:25:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1345720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ardentaislinn/pseuds/ardentaislinn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Henry is curious about the new man in his mother's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Like Him

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr

“You like him, right?”  


Emma’s footsteps faltered on the pavement at her son’s question.  


“Who?” Emma asked him, rather afraid she knew the answer already.  


“Killian, of course,” Henry replied, as if it were obvious.  


“Sure, he’s…” she struggled to think up an appropriate descriptive word that encompassed all of Hook. “He’s fine,” she finished lamely.

Henry rolled his eyes. “No, I mean, you like him. You moved all this way to be together, you spend all your time with him, you broke up with your fiancé for him. I’m not stupid.”

Emma studied her son as he looked back at her with a clear gaze. To him, it was all so obvious, so simple. But it wasn’t that easy.

“I know it may seem like that,” she began. “But, for starters, Walsh and I were never engaged. And I ended that for reasons that had nothing to do with Killian.” Henry looked doubtful, but nodded. She ploughed on. “Killian and I came here to work a case, and that’s why we are spending so much time together. I promise you there is nothing…romantic happening, if that’s what you were thinking.”

If Emma hadn’t been watching Henry so closely, she may have missed the disappointment that flashed in his eyes.

“Why not? I like him.” Henry was beginning to get a rather determined look in his eyes that made Emma uneasy as to what he had planned.

“I’m glad. He likes you, too,” Emma replied, relieved at the chance to move the subject away from her love life. She should have known it wouldn’t be that easy.

“Then you should give him a chance. I know he likes you, too.”

Emma resisted the urge to sigh. “Kid, it’s really–,” Henry interrupted her.

“You can’t let what happened with Neal and whatever happened with Walsh stop you from being with someone. And Killian isn’t like those guys. I know he isn’t.” Henry had a rather mulish set to his jaw that Emma recognised. She knew she would have to say something to appease him soon, before it was too late.

“How about if I think about it?” she asked him. Henry’s eyes lit up, and Emma felt a stab of guilt at how hopeful he was. She would do anything to bring that expression to her son’s face more often, but she was so afraid that she would let him down. She knew that he just wanted her to be happy, but Emma wasn’t even sure what that was anymore. Thoughts and emotions, truths and lies had been swirling in her head since New York, and she hadn’t yet become used to the conflicting memories.

“Just don’t get your hopes up,” she told him softly. “I can’t promise anything.”

Henry grinned at her. “I know, but it’s a start. And for you, that’s really something.”

Emma slung her arm around her son’s shoulders affectionately and smiled down at him. He really did know her well.

“You shouldn’t go worrying Killian about this when you see him today, alright?”

“Sure,” Henry replied with a sly look in his eyes that Emma refused to see.


End file.
